Kien Giang diversifies mud crab farming with innovative models
Kien Giang Province is expanding its mud crab farming sector by introducing a range of innovative models, including intensive systems, crab-shrimp integration, crab-shrimp-rice rotation, and crab-shrimp-forest farming.
According to the provincial Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance Sub-Department, Kien Giang province plans to farm mud crabs on 89,500 hectares in 2025, with an estimated harvest of over 32,000 tons.
Local authorities are stepping up technical training and encouraging farmers to adopt advanced farming techniques, improve the quality of crab seed stock, and enhance disease prevention and treatment. Innovative practices such as soft-shell crab production and transitioning crabs from meat grade to roe grade are also being promoted to boost product value.
In the early 2000s, mud crabs were primarily farmed as a supplementary species in the rice–shrimp rotation model to increase household income. However, due to their high economic returns, mud crabs have since become a key aquaculture species in Kien Giang. In recent years, prices have remained stable at VND 300,000 – 500,000 per kilogram, occasionally spiking to nearly VND 1 million per kilogram during holidays and the Tet festival.
VFM
